The Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy aims to inform policy, social, health services, community, and treatment approaches to reduce overdose and substance-related harms overall and across intersectional subgroups.

The following are brief summaries of select projects conducted by our researchers, organized by lead investigator. To stay up to date, please join our mailing list.

Cerdá Research Lab

The Cerdá Lab, led by Center director Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH, focuses on the effect that local, state and national drug,health, and economic policies have on substance use-related harms and violence, as well as tracking and predicting trends in morbidity and mortality nationally and globally.

Understanding the Long- and Short- Term Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Overdose Crisis

This study will build a multi-center cohort of ~2.4 million patients PCORnet® networks across the country to track the impact of community COVID-19 burden on individual overdose risk. The study will identify policies with the greatest potential to buffer people who use drugs from the adverse effects of this pandemic and future societal crises. The study will also provide insights on the types of communities that are most vulnerable to the effects of disasters on overdose. This knowledge can help improve public policy responses to future pandemics and other major disasters. Funding is provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The principal investigators are Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH and Samuel R. Friedman, PhD.

A Comparative Evaluation of Overdose Prevention Programs in New York City and Rhode Island

This study seeks to determine the individual- and neighborhood-level outcomes associated with implementation of overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in New York City and Rhode Island and examine the role that the local context, including neighborhood, program models, operating procedures and costs, play in shaping the impact of OPCs. This research will provide evidence on the potential benefits and unintended consequences of this novel harm reduction strategy to address the overdose crisis in the United States. At the individual level, the project evaluates whether a prospective cohort of 500 persons attending OPCs experience lower rates of overdose, other health problems, and emergency department use, and a higher rate of substance use disorder treatment initiation. At the community level, the project examines whether neighborhoods surrounding the OPCs experience a greater change in overdose, measures of drug-related public disorder, and acute economic conditions following the opening of OPCs. The study is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The principal investigators are Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH and Brandon Marshall, PhD.

Large Data Spatiotemporal Modeling of Optimal Combinations of Interventions to Reduce Opioid Harm in the United States

Leveraging large data and spatiotemporal analytic models, this study aims to determine which combinations of state and local harm reduction laws have resulted in the biggest decreases in overdoses and injection-related harms in the 836 largest municipalities in the United States. This work will lead to the creation of a public use, open-source dashboard that can be used to track state and local harm reduction laws, and their impact on overdoses and related harms. This project is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The principal investigators are Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH and Charles J. DiMaggio, PhD.

Preventing Overdose Using Information and Data from the Environment (PROVIDENT) Grant

The aim of PROVIDENT is to develop a forecasting tool to identify fatal overdoses and neighborhoods at high risk of future overdose outbreaks. Through an ensemble machine learning approach, the PROVIDENT model seeks to use geospatial data on overdose fatalities in Rhode Island since 2014 to forecast future overdose hotspots. This project seeks to inform how state and local resources can be allocated for the greatest reduction in overdose mortality and enable other states to identify high-risk neighborhoods and target overdose prevention efforts accordingly. Read the full abstract. This project is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Co-Principal Investigator: Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH

Examining the Synergistic Effects of Cannabis and Prescription Opioid Policies on Chronic Pain, Opioid Prescribing, and Opioid Overdose

This study examines the independent and joint impact of prescription opioid (PO) policies and cannabis laws on trends in chronic pain, opioid prescribing practices, opioid misuse, and overdose. By comparing these trends in states that enacted more restrictive PO policies and less restrictive cannabis laws with states that didn't enact these measures, we aim to identify the types and combinations of policies that will lead to the greatest reduction in opioid-related harm. Read the full abstract for further details. This project is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Principal Investigator: Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH

Krawczyk Research Lab

The Krawczyk Lab is led by Noa Krawczyk, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Population Health and associate director of the Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy. The lab focuses on studying ways to address barriers to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder at individual, program, and policy levels.

Promoting Addiction care Transitions Across Healthcare Settings (PATHS)

This project employs mixed-methods to study strategies for transitioning opioid use disorder (OUD) patients from hospitals to ongoing community-based medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The study is being conducted in partnership with NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H). The aims are to develop a taxonomy and subsequent survey of 11 H+H hospitals hospital OUD care transition strategies, conduct interviews with providers and patients on primary barriers and facilitators to transitions of care, and explore associations between patient characteristics, hospital transition strategies, and post-discharge MOUD engagement outcomes. This work is funded by a K01 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Simulating the Impact of Office-Based Methadone Prescribing and Pharmacy Dispensing on OUD Treatment and Overdose in New York State (SIMPOD-NY): An Agent-Based Modeling Approach

This project uses an agent-based model (ABM) to estimate the potential impact of four alternative Methadone treatment (MT) policy scenarios being considered in current U.S. policy discussions: Opioid Treatment Program Only, Mobile Methadone, Addiction-Specialist Prescribing, and Primary Care Prescribing. We will estimate how changes in environment and MT access points (e.g., mobile units, prescriber, pharmacy locations) affect methadone initiation and six-month retention, overdose rates, and racial/ethnic and urban/rural disparities in NY State. This work is being conducted in collaboration with the NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The principal investigators are Dr. Krawczyk and Ayana Jordan, PhD, MPH.

Impact of COVID-19 Regulatory Changes on Medication Treatments for Opioid Use Disorder: Implications for U.S. Federal Policy

This project is gathering and synthesizing evidence from peer-reviewed literature about how two opioid use disorder treatment regulatory flexibilities—extended methadone take-home supplies and telemedicine for buprenorphine induction and treatment-- have impacted program and patient outcomes. It also seeks to explain how federal regulators can use the evidence to inform their upcoming rulemaking projects to extend both flexibilities beyond the pandemic. This work is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Dr. Krawczyk is the Co-Lead Investigator

Bloomberg Opioid Initiative

This Bloomberg Philanthropies-funded overdose prevention initiative collaborates with government and community partners to develop, implement, evaluate, and distribute evidence-based solutions to reduce overdose deaths in areas severely affected by the opioid crisis. Major partners include Vital Strategies, The Pew Charitable Trusts, CDC Foundation, and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Read more about the partnership. Dr. Krawczyk is the lead investigator.

Self-Reported Experiences and Perspectives on using psychedelics to manage opioid use among participants of two Reddit communities

This qualitative project explores self-reported experiences of using psychedelics to treat OUD and their perceived impact on opioid use using the Reddit online community platform. We aim to gather insights on how people are using or considering using psychedelics to manage OUD, how these experiences are perceived to impact opioid use, and what these lessons imply for future research and practice. Dr. Krawczyk is the lead investigator.

Liberating Methadone: Building a Roadmap and Community for Change Conference and Report

In partnership with the National Survivors Union and the National Coalition to Liberate Methadone, the Liberating Methadone conference brought together members from various backgrounds to discuss and exchange ideas on how to improve access to and use of methadone to reduce the harms of opioid use in September 2023. Following the conference, a multidisciplinary group created a summary report of the conference highlights with a detailed set of proposed recommendations for providers, government agencies, and researchers aimed at improving access to methadone, reducing stigma, and enhancing the overall person-centeredness and effectiveness of methadone treatment. This work is funded by National Institute on Drug Abuse, Pew Charitable Trust, Vital Strategies, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE), and NYU-H+H Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI). The principal investigators are Dr. Krawczyk and Ayana Jordan, MD, PhD.

Allen Research Lab

The Allen Lab, led by Bennett Allen, PhD, focuses on the evaluation of policies and programs in overdose prevention, substance use, and mental health, with a particular attention to innovative and scalable local interventions and actions. The role of public health ethics in policymaking and practice remains a throughline across projects. Projects are conducted in partnership with a range of government and community partners.

Community-based evaluation of a novel, system-wide harm reduction strategic plan for people experiencing homelessness in New York City

This study will evaluate a portfolio of overdose prevention services implemented system-wide across the New York City single-adult shelter system using econometric, machine learning, and qualitative methods. Findings will generate insights about the design and delivery of place-based overdose prevention services for people experiencing homelessness to inform the work of jurisdictions across the United States. Funding is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Allen is the principal investigator. Learn more.

Assessing the impact of overdose prevention centers as a polysubstance use and behavioral health intervention in New York City

This study will evaluate the impact of the New York City overdose prevention centers on mental health services use among syringe service program clients using epidemiological and machine learning methods. Findings will generate insights about the development of integrated harm reduction and mental health services to inform the work of behavioral health service providers. Funding is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Allen is the principal investigator. Learn more.

Simulation modeling to reduce drug overdose mortality in New York City

This study will estimate the impact of a public health investments in overdose prevention on life expectancy and overdose death in New York City using microsimulation modeling methods. Findings will generate insights into the development of equitable and efficient investments in public health interventions to reduce premature and preventable mortality from overdose. Dr. Allen is the principal investigator. Funding is provided by the Commonwealth Fund.

Algorithmic harm reduction practice: Integrating machine learning into harm reduction service delivery

This study will identify opportunities for the use of predictive analytics by harm reduction providers to inform community-level service delivery in the greater New York City metropolitan area using qualitative methods and normative bioethical analysis. Findings will generate insights into the capacity for and ethical implications of community-based service providers integrating predictive analytical tools into their work. Funding is provided by the Fordham Center for Ethics Education. Dr. Allen is the principal investigator. Learn more.

Matthay Research Lab

The Matthay Lab, led by Ellicott C. Matthay, PhD, researches and examines the influence of social, economic, and physical characteristics of communities on health, and how policies can shift these characteristics to improve population health and reduce racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequities in violent injury and substance use-related harms. She also conducts methodological investigations to strengthen causal inferences and improve the rigor of applied studies.

Joint Impact of Local Alcohol and Cannabis Laws and Outlet Densities on Violence

This study examines how local alcohol and cannabis policies in California interact to influence rates and disparities in self-harm and assault injuries in California before and after recreational cannabis legalization in 2018. Evidence from this study will assist state and local decision-makers in selecting optimal models for regulation of legal cannabis across diverse communities. The study is funded by an R01 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Matthay is the principal investigator.

Social policies to prevent firearm assault

This study evaluates the impact of county-level economic support and alcohol control policies adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on trends in firearm assault injuries. Findings from this study will point to promising local policies that could be used to prevent firearm violence during future crises. This study is funded by the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Dr. Matthay is the principal investigator.

Bunting Research Lab

The goal of the Bunting Research Lab, led by Amanda M. Bunting, PhD, is to conduct meaningful research to understand the experiences of and improve outcomes for individuals engaged in high-risk polysubstance use. The Lab also provides naloxone and overdose response trainings for research teams and the community.

Development of a Novel Polysubstance Assessment Tool for Vulnerable Subpopulations

This project addresses the real-world complexities of substance use through a focus on the high-risk and complex phenomenon of polysubstance use, a behavior that substantially increases the risk of overdose mortality. We adopt a rigorous mixed-method approach to develop and validate a novel polysubstance use assessment tool for use with underserved subpopulations, such as justice-involved people who inject drugs, and identify correlates and motivations of polysubstance use behaviors among this population to inform the development of future targeted interventions.

Adaption of the STAIR-NT Trauma Intervention for Polysubstance Populations

This project will adapt an existing evidence-based post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) intervention, skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation with narrative therapy (STAIR-NT), via a massed treatment model (i.e., condensed treatment schedule) for patients in methadone maintenance treatment who are engaged in illicit opioid–stimulant polysubstance use. A small-scale randomized control trial will examine implementation (i.e., feasibility and acceptability) and short-term polysubstance use and PTSD symptomology outcomes.

Resilience, Intersectional Stigma, and Empowerment (RISE) Research Lab

The RISE Lab, led by Suzan M. Walters, PhD, focuses on understanding and addressing the impacts of intersectional stigma on marginalized populations, with an emphasis on improving health equity and service engagement, while advancing intersectional stigma theory and developing innovative methods for measuring its complex effects.

Intersectional Stigma Experiences, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), and Other Service Use Among People Who Inject Drugs

This study examines how intersectional stigma—arising from factors like drug use, race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and poverty—affects pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) willingness and uptake among people who inject drugs (PWID). It also explores how stigma influences engagement with services such as healthcare, drug treatment, and syringe exchange programs over time.

Qualitative Assessment of the First Government Sanctioned Overdose Prevention Center in the United States

This study investigates how structural marginalization, community environments, and social structures influence decisions about where people inject drugs, focusing on reasons for not using an overdose prevention center (OPC) in NYC. This project is funded by a pilot project award from the NIDA funded Lifespan/Brown Criminal Justice Research Training Program on Substance Use and HIV.

A Community-Driven Exploration of PrEP, Harm Reduction, and Overdose Prevention Center Service Use among Spanish-Speaking People Who Inject Drugs in NYC

This study addresses rising rates of HIV, overdose, and related issues among Spanish-speaking people who inject drugs (PWID) in NYC by examining barriers and facilitators to PrEP, harm reduction, and Overdose Prevention Center (OPC) use. This project is funded by a pilot project award from the NIDA funded Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR).

Qualitative Exploration of Social Network Ties Among People Who Inject Drugs

This study explores community support, social networks, and sources of joy among people who inject drugs (PWID), focusing on how these networks influence engagement with PrEP, harm reduction, and Overdose Prevention Centers (OPCs), as well as identifying barriers to accessing these resources. This project is funded by a pilot project award from the NIDA funded Substance Use and HIV Prevention Research in Minority Communities Training program.

Other Research

The Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR)

The Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR) is an allied and collaborating research center with the Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy that focuses on public health issues related to HIV, hepatitis C, and drug use. Several faculty members at the Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy also conduct research at CDUHR, including Magdalena Cerdá, DrPH, MPH, Bennett Allen, PhD , Samuel R. Friedman, PhD and Suzan M. Walters, PhD.